Smoking pipe stem joint



Feb. 14, 1950 o. M. LERCH 2,497,225

SMOKING PIPE STEM JOINT Filed Oct. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a Inventor flZz'mer/Klerah,

Attorneys Fgb. 14, 1950 o. M. LERCH SMOKING PIPE STEM JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14, 1944 6' 5 20 Qsiigggggggggg Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITE-D FPA'TENT orr ICE SMOKINGEPIPE -STEM fiJoIN'r o1irs M.I-.Lerch,llGiif0id,"Pa. {Applicationbctob'er 14, 1944, :Seri'al No.' 558,664

Y .The present. inventionsrelates "toz-aa joint for :connectingthe'stem' tofthe bowl part ofxa pipe,

V stem aoppos ite thebitend-together with uspring "means for connecting the bushings together was to provide a joint with a flexible and not easily broken connection preventing one bushing from pulling off the other, the, present invention con- :stituting an improvement over my priorLet-ters Patent No. 1,921,530, and resides in awnovelcon- ;struction;for anchoring the bushingsin position as well as for anchoring the ends of the spring 15 in the respective bushings to yieldably secure the same to each other in connected position.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more 1 fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the joint in assembled position.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3 with the spring broken away and shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the spring securing means and taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, with the spring broken away and shown in plan.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the male part of the joint.

Figure 5 is a similar View of the female part of the joint.

Figures 6 and 7 are outer end elevational views of the respective outer ends of the joint.

Figure 8 is a view showing the joint applied to a smoking pipe.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken on the line 99 in Figure 1 and showing in dotted lines how one of the eyes is pulled out of thegrooves.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 5 designates the male part of a bushing or connector joint externally threaded as at 6 for threaded engagement in the stem 6' of a smoking pipe, one end of the bushing being formed with an annular flange I, the end of the bushing adjacent said flange being formed with a reduced annular boss 8 having a pair of radially extending lugs 9 adapted to seat within notches I and II respectively formed in the abutting end portion of the female part of the bushing I2,

: drawing.

ssaid female. part likewise being formed :at its abutting end with-an annular flange. l3 -forming Vanannular recess I3", as will be clearlyapparent .f-rom an inspection of Figures-1,2 and 3 of 'the This female part of the 'bushing-' I 2: .isformed with a 5. plurality -of --longitudinally extending sg-rooves -I 4,said grooves being arranged in; closely s spacedwrelation to clefine longitudinally extend- :l0 -.-ing ribs M'engageable with-the walls of the bore ofI-the-stem, portion- I2 of a pipe'bowl I3 :tosecure theparts in. position therein by frictional engagement of the edges er, said ribs with said stem. portion. The, parts-5 and; I2 ofsthe bushing are formed with aligned bores I5 communicating with the smoke passage in the pipe stem and within said bores is positioned an expansible coil spring I6 having its ends I1 formed with longitudinally extending eyes I8 to seat within grooves I8 extending transversely of a segmental extension 28 formed on the respective end portions of the bushing.

The grooves I9 are each formed therein with a pair of suitable seats I9 for the eyes I8, the seats I9 in each pair preventing said eyes I8, when seated, from being drawn into the bores l5 by reaction of the spring I6. By pulling the eyes I8 into planes at substantially a right angle to the extensions 28, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 9, said eyes I8 may be positioned to clear said extensions 28 so that the spring I6 may be pulled out of bores I5 in bushings 5 and I2. In inserting the spring I8 in the bores I5, said spring is turned to position the eyes I8 at substantially a right angle to said extensions 20 so as to pass through said extensions. The spring I6 is then inserted into the bores l5, a suitable distance,

and the eyes I8 grasped and pulled out of said bores I5 past said extensions after which said eyes I8 are turned so as to be drawn into the grooves I9 against the pairs of seats [9 by reaction of the spring I6.

As will be apparent from an inspection of Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings the eyes or ringmembers I8 project outwardly beyond the segmental extensions 28 to provide a finger grip therefor whereby to permit the eyes to be withdrawn from the grooves I9 and the seats I9 for the purpose of separating the two parts of the bushing when the same are to be removed from the pipe stem.

55 The bushings 5, I2. as will now be seen are connected together primarily by a pull apart joint formed by the boss 8, lugs 9 and the notches I0, I l the spring l6 providing an extensible connection, not easily broken and maintaining the bushings connected if the same should accidently be pulled apart, so that said bushings will not fall to the ground or floor if either is pulled from the other.

It is believed the details of construction and operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

What is claimed is:

extensions and eyes on the ends of said spring releasably engageable in said grooves.

3. A connector between the bowl stem and mouth-piece stem of a smoking pipe comprising longitudinally aligned male and female bushings, said female bushing having an annular recess in one end, radially extending notches in the end of said female part communicating with said recess, an annular boss on one end of the male bushing adapted to seat in said recess, radially extending lugs on said boss adapted to seat in 1. A connector between the bowl stem and.

mouth-piece stem of a pipe comprising longitudinally aligned male and female bushing mem bers having interfitting engagement at one end,

said bushing members having a bore extending therethrough, an expansible coil spring positioned in the bore, segmental extensions at the outer ends of the bore having grooves therein, and eyes extending longitudinally from the ends of said spring and releasably engageable in said grooves.

2. A connector between the bowl stem and mouth-piece stem of a smoking pipe and comprisinglongitudinally aligned male and female bushings having interfitting engagement at their abutting ends, means carried by said bushings for releasably securing the same to the bowl stem and mouth-piece stem respectively of the pipe, said bushings having aligned bores extending therethrough, an expansible coil spring positioned in said bores, segmental extensions at the outer ends of said bushings and ofiset from the center i of the bores, transverse grooves formed in said the notches to prevent relative rotation of the bushings, means on the bushings for releasably securing the same respectively to the bowl stem and mouthpiece stem portions of the pipe, said bushings having aligned bores extending therethrough, a coil spring positioned in said bores, ofiset extensions on the outer ends of said bushings, grooves extending laterally in said extensions and longitudinally extending eyes on the ends of said spring releasably engageable in said grooves, said eyes projecting outwardly beyond said extensions.

OLIVER M. LERCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,921,530 Lerch Aug. 8, 1933 2,134,197 Miller Oct. 25, 1938 2,164,982 Beaudry July 4, 1939 

